Humility goes a long way for Steve Kerr in title run

(left to right) Golden State Warriors' coaches Luke Walton, Ron Adams, Steve Kerr and Alvin Gentry enjoy a block by rookie James Michael McAdoo in 4th quarter of Warriors' 122-79 win over the Denver Nuggets during NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, January 19, 2015. less

Golden State Warriors' Head Coach Steve Kerr shoots after practice in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

Golden State Warriors' Head Coach Steve Kerr shoots after practice in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

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Golden State Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry enjoy light moment in 2nd quarter of 101-86 win over against Memphis Grizzlies during Game 1 of NBA Playoffs' Western Conference Semifinals in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, May 3, 2015. less

Golden State Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry enjoy light moment in 2nd quarter of 101-86 win over against Memphis Grizzlies during Game 1 of NBA Playoffs' Western Conference Semifinals in ... more

Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

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The Golden State Warriors introduced their new head coach Steve Kerr, during a press conference at their training facility in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday May 20, 2014.

The Golden State Warriors introduced their new head coach Steve Kerr, during a press conference at their training facility in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday May 20, 2014.

Photo: Michael Macor / The Chronicle

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Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr is the first rookie head coach to win a title since Pat Riley did it in 1982 with the Lakers.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr is the first rookie head coach to win a title since Pat Riley did it in 1982 with the Lakers.

Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

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Golden State Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr is interviewed on media day in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, September 29, 2014.

Golden State Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr is interviewed on media day in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, September 29, 2014.

Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

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Steve Kerr isn’t new to winning championships — he did it five times during a playing career that spanned 15 seasons from the late 1980s to early 2000s.

Steve Kerr isn’t new to winning championships — he did it five times during a playing career that spanned 15 seasons from the late 1980s to early 2000s.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Humility goes a long way for Steve Kerr in title run

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Steve Kerr achieved a rare feat by guiding the Warriors to the NBA championship in his first year as a head coach — and he acted as if his role was secondary, like he rolled out the basketballs and became a passive spectator.

Maybe that is part of the secret.

Kerr shaped these title-winning Warriors in many important ways, including refusing to take credit for the ways in which he shaped these Warriors. Do not underestimate the power of humility in connecting to a group of professional athletes.

Kerr’s lack of ego filtered through most of his key moves this season. He hired and empowered strong assistant coaches. He convinced Andre Iguodala and David Lee to accept reserve roles. He installed an offense built on ball movement and unselfishness.

Then, with his team facing a surprising two-games-to-one deficit in the NBA Finals, Kerr boldly inserted Iguodala into the starting lineup and benched Andrew Bogut. The Warriors, instantly revitalized, reeled off three consecutive convincing victories to win their first championship in 40 years.

“Steve is just a very measured, humble, exuberant leader,” said assistant coach Ron Adams, who has spent 23 years in the NBA and another 23 coaching at the college level. “And he’s a good leader.”

Only a good leader could make such a resounding and immediate impact. Kerr became the seventh rookie head coach to win an NBA title, and the first since Pat Riley with the Lakers in 1982. That slice of trivia made the rounds in the wake of Golden State’s clinching victory in Game 6.

Dig deeper and discover this: Kerr is only the third rookie head coach in more than 50 years to win the NBA title, joining Riley and Paul Westhead (1980 Lakers). And the accomplishment is similarly rare in major-league baseball and the NFL.

Just one rookie manager has won the World Series in the past half-century — Bob Brenly with the 2001 Diamondbacks. Only two rookie head coaches have won the Super Bowl — George Seifert with the 1989 49ers (Bay Area fans might remember him) and Don McCafferty with the 1970 Colts.

So, yes, Kerr stands in lofty company.

His persona and manner became abundantly clear during the postgame, on-court ceremony Tuesday night in Cleveland. ESPN/ABC reporter Doris Burke asked Kerr about his journey and whom he was thinking about in this triumphant moment, and he quickly mentioned Lute Olson, Phil Jackson, Lenny Wilkens and Gregg Popovich.

“I’ve been blessed to play for the greatest coaches ever,” Kerr said. “I’ve learned a ton from them, and they’ve all helped me get here. I was blessed with an unbelievable group of guys in my first year. I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

The decision to start Iguodala in Game 4 spoke to Kerr’s style and savvy on several levels. Kerr encourages input from his assistant coaches, to the point where 28-year-old Nick U’Ren — officially, the special assistant to the head coach and manager of advanced scouting — felt comfortable suggesting the lineup change in a conversation with assistant coach Luke Walton.

Walton texted Kerr in the middle of the night, and then the staff debated the merits of making the move. Kerr not only went with Iguodala, he publicly credited U’Ren for the idea.

Not many head coaches, let alone rookie head coaches, would have done that.

“It was Steve’s decision,” Walton told Sports Illustrated. “It’s always his decision. But this is why he’s the greatest boss in the world. We can all make suggestions, even a video guy, and he’ll seriously consider them.”

Kerr offered hints of his management style last summer, when he put together his staff. Previous head coach Mark Jackson earned his ticket out of town, in part, by refusing to hire experienced assistants. This frustrated owner Joe Lacob, who knew Kerr would take a different approach.

He built a staff including one former head coach (Alvin Gentry), a longtime and widely respected defensive specialist (Adams), two 30-something former players (Walton and Jarron Collins) and one personable assistant with a background including scouting and player development (Bruce Fraser).

“Steve doesn’t have an ego in how he puts something together,” said Fraser, a friend of Kerr’s since they were college teammates at Arizona in the 1980s. “He’s also a thinker. He put a lot of thought into what he needed and what the staff needed.”

Or, as Gentry put it, “Steve is unbelievably secure in his own skin. He wanted to hire people who could help him.”

He went ahead and hired those people. They helped him. Soon thereafter, this rookie head coach cradled a shiny, gold trophy.